The Kaya Girl
by Mamle Wolo (Author)
This rags-to-riches story by an award-winning Ghanaian author has page-turning appeal with luminous literary resonance.
Writing with effortlessly engaging prose, Wolo showcases the interweaving layers of Ghanaian culture to create a prismatic, multifaceted world in which two young girls, against all odds, are able to find each other.
When Faiza, a Muslim migrant girl from northern Ghana, and Abena, a wealthy doctor's daughter from the south, meet by chance in Accra's largest market, where Faiza works as a porter or kaya girl, they strike up an unlikely and powerful friendship that transcends their social inequities and opens up new worlds to them both.
Set against a backdrop of class disparity in Ghana, The Kaya Girl has shades of The Kite Runner in its unlikely friendship, and of Slumdog Millionaire as Faiza's life takes unlikely turns that propel her thrillingly forward. As, over the course of the novel, Abena awakens to the world outside her sheltered, privileged life, the novel explores a multitude of awakenings and the opportunities that lie beyond the breaking down of barriers. This is a gorgeously transporting work, offering vivid insight into two strikingly diverse young lives in Ghana.
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Kirkus
A heartwarming and inspiring tale of a friendship that surpasses class differences and social stigma.
ALA/Booklist
Will transport readers to Ghana.
School Library Journal
Gr 4-7--Plenty of kids can relate to being shipped off for the summer. Camps, trips to visit family, or even extra educational classes are common. Adena is no different from most kids that way, but her summer experience with Aunt Lydia certainly will be. Middle graders will enjoy being transported to the sights, sounds, smells, and flavors of the Makola Market in Accra, Ghana, which set the stage for Adena's summer. At first, her assignment seems to be a punishment, but it soon becomes an endearing story of forbidden friendship. Adena is a student at a private school for the children of wealthy Ghanaians, and Faiza is a kayayoo, a porter for shoppers in the Makola Market. An unlikely pair due to their very different lives, they become fast friends when Adena is sent to live with her aunt. The speed with which the girls overcome their language barrier is a tad unrealistic, but they share plenty of other connections: current fashion fads, music, and cute boys. A few of the phrases and names may present a bit of difficulty for unfamilar readers, but the surprising twist in the latter half of the novel makes the effort all worthwhile. VERDICT Including subtle yet important history and geography lessons, Wolo's book gives readers an opportunity to become immersed in West African culture while realizing the lessons of growing up include universal experiences: prejudice, poverty, and self-determination.--Darby Wallace
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Publishers Weekly
Set in an outdoor marketplace in the heart of Ghana's capital, Wolo's heartwarming debut traces a friendship that overcomes social boundaries, including class and language differences. Abena, the privileged 14-year-old daughter of a successful doctor, is set to spend her summer holidays at her aunt Lydia's fabric shop, a world away from her upbringing in wealthy Labone, where she attends an exclusive American private school. At Accra's Makola Market, Abena meets Faiza, a 14-year-old Muslim girl from a small, rural village in northern Ghana. Faiza has moved to Accra to work as a kayayoo, or girl porter, and often faces ill treatment from the market customers. The girls bond instantly over market snacks and the crushes they nurse on the brothers ("similar but different; cool as cucumbers") who work at a nearby electronics shop, while teaching each other their respective languages. Employing realistic dialogue and lush descriptions of the sights, smells, and tastes of Ghana, this smart exploration of friendship's lasting power centers two teens expanding and exploring their worlds. Ages 8-12. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary. (June)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
"...will transport readers to Ghana."—Booklist
JUV039070 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Homelessness & Poverty
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
JUV030010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Africa
Families
Family life
Social classes
Female friendship
Ghana
Markets
Novels
